Arizona weekly citizen., 1887-10-08
Quillua.
fFa,,l wetb. in wa,e.l; Masa.lnel.

CnTly sH hNi-'cH .--c tA4.S1 oi LupAbhni.4-s sand aud castEt .hht separate IL, to whsre sn sitting n my easy char, il front of my adobe house. in the old and very dusiy tnwn cf Iaoscn.
 | have but jI-s hci-hed my evening ue l, aud coiGe oI: in dressing gown and siIpyeis for a T liet evening smoke The sun is sl ,S'y giHkiug behind the hills. and tine light Oi I:s isst r"ys ssi!i tint the sky with all the colors Of the rainbow. < gentle b.eezs which Is stir riug deli1hss eni retTeehes me alter the iniens, bea. of the dsy. My little plot of 0rsss in t:on. of the door looks very fresb ana green.
 Now it JoG wIii look out with me toward .he west, at that range of hilis winch stards out bold hrd distinct agaInat the evening sky. you will dis cover, as I have. the perfect fsce of vonaE 5oEreG in the ouilioe of 'bc mountains. l call tbis my "sphinx."
 B fore l asked you n i5ia Uie. and while sillirc here sIr0kio: aud idly dreaming, l though. l heard & faint chirp.ng scund como from the grass ia frost fl where 1 sct. Then all was still; seen i!e round was repeated, and this tune l dIs..Ugu;sled She isrSy words
 Hello. 1 Say"
 Fl ailo your. e'i, -sid l.
 "Nhlt aye y0n thinking about? The face oi Qdihua? said tce sqae.ky voice.
 "The face of Ocihua-is that the name you give to my .phiaK Ot tLo moIu- tain?' I asked, as ! looked S:eGmily through tho smcka Uf my cIsEr, et iDe still and pyEi e .ace cu fLe mountain top.
 "H4! ha! hl, her .aa..td iks little voice, "Sph.uAi is that v hs' you -csil herr Hsl hc! be! ha. hs! har' aud he went of into auU;nar gale Ot laurLler.
 "Lcok cUt. my attiu frieLi, OT you sIli oho.tr' 1 said.
 "Oh. DO, I won't, but that's SO funny; QuihuG k her name, not Sphinx Ha. ha! he! Et!' ha laughed again.
 "HOg do you know QuIDua is her name?' 1 asked somewhat exBsperhied to think taat auy cue lbUuld know more about my sphi.X than l
 'Oh, live up there. Would you like tO know The history If your sphinx IS you call hcrg' s.ii she llttl5 voice.
 ''Yes, would; t-t first tell ne who you are" l said,
 "Oh. never miad about ne; you will know whO 1 a1r in She story
 All right go shea1. my chrpy frIeud.' suiG ss seated myself back and toOk long "hlt from mJ cigar.
 Then iu quick, iS ky words came the following story:
 "For many hundred sears. right where your sphinx aas h,g nose, was plsced the altar fire Oi the AE:ec gods. This e.. .asnhf md day, Nvar ln aEd yeGf out. IL was called the ''gltar fires ot Qliaua" Ol this altar were s.cuiced the mos: beIu!Iful Insidsns taken ID captivity, as Cnerngr to the god of VET. Invisible spirits kept Inc fire buruiig <. These spirits had others under them, wLo were called "mQnir," or 'fsECt-be6reTs l am a a muLi. W.-u s8c.If-s Was to be offcEtG, ihe great high priest Of the Aztscs wOuI3 Eeke tbe captive maiden tO the top oi !he mountain where bLEued the altar ire; hs would bind the maid to the sitss, 6nd as ;he flames !eaped LIsh abound her. on the evening GET gRl,.nE cong would be borne from the huge multitude oi people gathered ht ihe base Of the mountain. Dressed In Ehite. and kneeiing, gi;h hands -outstTeiChCd toward their altar ire, they sent forth their wGilIng chant to their god ut War.
 "About five buEdEed years ago, news was brought one day that great army was coming rom the north against the Aztec nbtlCn. IEe rumor spread like WiidtiIe thrUas hoat the numerous tribes. For many years the Az.ocs had been sI peace with the neishborIHg nstioDs, and therefore had no cBptIvss to offer to .he god of war hen the news came. During these years g new order of priests hA; spIuug up GmonZ the people. and had gained great power. When the news came of this invasion from tho north these new priests told tie people that as the danger was great. the sacrifice would be great also. Inc only way, they said. to save the na'Icn, vas 10 offer as s sac rItice the dHuIi ter cf iLe:r kirR. Tire old order ot priests were ensased at this and told the people hat this wa- not true, gn1 thstI |. had been revealed to them that fever e maid was offered who had ;he OiOc1 oi thei5 kiug- ib Ter veins great and t-rrID,e troaoie sud destruc lon woHld cCme upon tie people.
 But the Les priests were the strong CT. The daughter Cf tas king. a besuti tGl gIri, vi h IcUg golden haIr. and eyes ike bTllhHu: stars, Vas led by tte nsv priests mp the siie ot the Eouniaip, to iGe tar tr- Oi QIi1G1. Iie multitude | gathered ll kL--I q, ai,iiucs si ine foot. ! it Vas "A bsaa.IIJi starlight V nIrg. In ] dssth-l,ko s.liisass th Y waited For tbe i slgnai Co begin their chant. All at once ! q bright light iiiuul:ua,ei lhe mcu1:aIu | top. ani ll 'ar. turned their startled !! gag sbs va. they saw 'ise from the rliar I asnoT white biri; thrice it wheeled " e | circls above sLe alter ire. then up |, | sped and vanished Ia ite begvers.
 "Ali si enc It tersn c. gioS exceed l ingly dark; tSc .EIsh trembled; strong | wind arose; Then vuice from ChCys | cane strong eLd Ci-gT,--
 Let the royal biOod ye have split | this night fii Es K Cursa on you and | yours may yJuf children and your crI!- dren's cbIi-ire1 r,ue sway aHd die. ard | let your nation 5s "I9ed from tte fsre of the esr;hT
 "'The earth ehoak-sbe wind iucress- ed Co a hurrlc.ae. r-d lsii ~sste the country Ia eve-y d'rscti1 For days the storm couti.Ua3; finally it began to atstc and 70 l's siolis ceased.
 "Iha few ie@pi Who hai escaped wi,E their lives crawl ! from the caves and holes where they bai f9uud safety, and sazed upon tte t-.si. ]. havoc about ihem. Es5ry th.uS 'as changed. whai bad once h,tn thriy-I and beautiful land, covered win .srsts and rivers farms and peaceful v:!lsg5s. Was now s barren dessTf. Wi,. fear they turned to look for iheIr altar fire of Quihus. No hgh. gEs there. Cyery thing was black and lis-ied by the storm. As they gszed fh-y Were startled to See that tle shHps of ihe mountain was changed. And they 7av iha face of the beautiful maiden formed ln the outline Df the mouu'ain top. still. calm, and peaceful bs n her isst sleep. Asd SO ,hs Las rems ned ever since. with her .y es uptuFut Co where her soul .ock Iis light In .hs form Ot that snow-white bird.
 "Tbe people who had come from the north were driven back by the storm. The nation Of tEs Aztecs is no more Every hundred years !he spirits who yusrdsd the altar fire of Q1ihus, snc heiF fsgot bearers, the munis. come from n. IT homes on the face of Q1ihua, and Ti-it The lost homes f the Aztecs." The voice ceased